Pneumatic piano-playing device.



No. 674,426. Pa tentad may 21, 19m;

1:. w. PAIN. I PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYING DEVICE.

(Application filed Sept. 11, 1900.)

(No ModaL) INVENTOR qm M WIT 'ESSES J 40 ATTORNEY YNE Mumps P575" 00, mumcz. wnmnumn. n. c

No. 674,426. 7 Patented lday 2|, l90l.

R. W. PAIN. I

PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYING DEVICE.

(Application filed Sept. 11, 1900.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEY no: NORM-S Pains o0. Pnomuma. wn mnm'cm, a. c.

No. 674,426. Patented May 21, l90l. n. w. PAIN.

PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYING DEVICE.

(Application fild Sept. 11, 1900.)

(No Model.) 4 SheeIs Sheet 3.

n T A a O i E O ww u s I A WITNESSES: INVENTOR W V RMMGM.

' BY JQMIIVfiQM/ CA ATTORNEY m: scams wnzns ca. FNOTGUYHO wAsmucmm n. c.

No.- 674,426. Patented May 2I, lam. R. w. PAIN.

PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYING DEVICE.

(Application fllad Sept. 11, 1900.)

4 Sheats8heet 4.

(No llodeI.)

I INVEYNTOR @M 40- QM WITNESSES:

, AMI 66 ATTORNEY nomus wmas 0a.. Puo'rmwrna. wisnma'rou. a. c.

verse sectional view of same.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W'IIJIJIARD PAIN, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE vAEOLIAN COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

PNEUMATIC PIANO-PLAYING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,426, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed'September 11, 1900. Serial No. 29,710. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern- Be itk nown that LROBERT WILLIARD PAIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident; of New York, in the county of New York and State of New- York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Piano-Playing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionu'elates generally to pneumatic piano-playing devices, and more particularly to the class of devices in which the primary valve-action is operated by impulses of air admitted by the passage of a perforated sheet of flexible material over a tracl er board.

One object of my invention is to prod u'cea more com pact and efficient device characterized by easier access to the operating parts, greater adjust-ability and adaptability, and a reduction in the cost of production. Other objects will appear farther on in the specification.

The invention consists in the combination of cooperative elements hereinafter described; and it also pertains to a great extent to the arrangement of these elements.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown adevice embodying my invention; but changes and variations in details of construction may of course be made all within the scope of the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a device embodying my invention shown partly in section. Fig. 2 is a trans- Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the means for adjusting The upper casing. Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in section of the upper portion of Fig. 2,taken on the line m :2 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4 with the wall 39 broken away. Fig. 6 is an end view showing the relative a'rrangement of the pneumatics.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

I shall describe a pneumatic piano-playing device embodying'my invention and afterward point out the novel features in the claims.

The operating parts are inclosed in a suit able casing made in two partsa lower stationary casing 1 and an upper adjustable casing 2. The lower stationary casing contains the pump or suction device, with its receiver, and also the means for operating sameviz., the pedalstogether with such other means as are necessary for them to perform their proper function. The upper adjustable casing, on the other hand, carries the action of the mechanismviz., the finger-pieces, pneumatics, tracker-board, music-roll, windingup roll, wind-motor, pressure-regulating bellows, expression, and other regulating mechanism, together with suitable means of communication for the passage of the wind, connecting the different parts with each other. The upper casing fits within the lower casing and is adapted to be adjusted vertically with relation to the same in the following manner: The lower casing is formed with vertical guideways 3-two at each endand is further provided at one of said ends with a horizontal and transversely-extending piece 4, resting on top of the inner wall of the guideways and attached to the same by suitable means. The upper casing is correspondingly provided with four vertical guides 5, adapted to slide in the guideways of the lower casing, and two of these guides 5 are connected by means of the cross-piece 6, placed directly above the cross-piece 4 of the lower casing. A vertical screw 7 issecu red firmly to the cross-piece 6 and passes through a screw-cut. hole in the cross-piece L and has mounted on it the interiorly-screw-cut pinion 8, which is held stationary against the stationary crosspiece 4 by suitable means, such as the cupshaped device 9,shown in the drawings. With this pinion 8 meshes the worm 10, also mounted on the stationary cross-piece and provided at one end with a nut-face 11, which extends partially through the casing, access to the same being had through the aperture 12 by means of a removable key or wrench adapted to be inserted through the said aperture and to engage with the nut-face 11. If it is now desired to use at different times the playing device in connection with difierent pianos having difierent heights, the upper or playing portion may be adjusted to the required height by manipulating the worm 10 in the manner described, thereby turning the pinion 8, and the latter being stationary and intoriorly screw-cut and mounted on the screw] will impart its motion to the said screw and cause it to travel in a vertical direction either up or down, according to the direction of the motion imparted, and to carry the upper or adjustable casing with it.

The suction device and adjacent elements will now be described. In the lower casing is attached the middle board 13, carrying, as usual, the receiver 14 and the two bellows orming the pump 15. These devicesare provided with suitable valves, 'as at 16 and 16 and may be constructed in any manner best suited for the purpose. These bellows are operated by means of two pedals 17, pivoted with one end to the inside of the Xertical swinging door 18, as at 18*, the said door being hinged at its lower end at 18 in the easing, and carry at their other end a wire joint 19, to each of which is fastened the tape 20,

. passing; over the pulley 21'and attached by means of the button 22 one to each of the bellows.15.- By this means the pedals 17 are folded up when the door 18 is closed by sliding up against the wire guides 23 on the bellows 15, this movement being permitted by the wire joint 19 and the pivot 18 on the door 18,-while when the said door is opened the pedals drop into operative position, as shown' by the dotted linesin Fig. 2. The sliding movement on the wire guides 23 is facilitated by forming the ends of the pedals 17 adjacent to same with a rounded portion I The pulleys 21 are pivoted on the pins 21, carried by the side pieces 21", which in theirturn are fastened on the longitudinal board 21, attached by some suitable means, as the clefts 21 on the middle board 13. By this construction of the pedals a much more serviceable and convenient pumping device is produced, easier to gain access to, and more pleasing in appearance.

The upper part of the receiver connects, through the passage 24, with the bellowsthroat 25, extending longitudinally across the mechanism, and this may be considered the termination of the elements carried by the lower casing. On account of the adjustability of the upper casing within the lower casing it becomes necessary, however, to interpose a compensating device between the upper and the lower casing which will adapt itself to the motion of the upper casing, so

as to maintain the requisite communication between the operating parts and the suction device, and to this end the two flexible windtrunks 26 and 27, one at each end of the casing, are provided by placing the longitudinal 1ow.er board 280m top of the bellows-throat and by securing the longitudinal upper board 29 to the upper casing, the wind-trunks being fastened between these.- By this arrangement a flexible connection is established, so that the parts carried by the upper casing are in constant and unimpaired communication with the parts carried by the lower casing.

The parts carried by the upper casing will now be described. 30 indicates the trackerboard, constructed in the usual manner, communicating by means of the alternating and flexible connections 31 and 31* with two .series of vertical passages 32 and 32*, located opposite to each other on either side of the tracker-board in the outer side Walls of the exhaust-chambers 33 and 33, extending longitudinally for almost the entire length of the casing. The vertical passages32 and 32 communicate'at their lower ends, respectively, with the horizontal passages 34 and 34*, which terminate in theapertures 35 and 35 pierccovered with the flexible diaphragms 36 and 36*. On the upper side of each of these diaphragins rest the lower ends of the puppetvalves 37 and 37*, working in the horizontal passages 38 and 38 between the walls 39 39* and 40 40 The walls 39 and 39 have each an aperture 41 and'41, connecting the passages 38 and 38 with the atmosphere, and the walls 40 and40 have each an aperture 42 and 42, connecting the passages 38 and 38 with the exhaust-chambers 33 and 33. tween the two inner side walls'43 and 43 of the exhaust-chambers are located the pneumatics 44 and 44*. To economize space, the pneumatics 44 are carried by a block of wood 44 suspending them at a point somewhat lower than the point at which the pneumatics 44 are suspended. Only three pneumatics havebeen shown in the drawings; but it will of course be understood that they extend the entire distance of the exhaust-chambers, one pneumatic being tone.' The pneumatics 44 communicate byv means of the passages 45 with the passages 38, and the pneumatics 44 communicate by means of the passages 45 with the passages 38.

From the foregoing it will appear thatwhen impulses of air are admitted throughthe trackerboard in a wellknown manner ing the wall into the exhaust-chambers, but

provided for each. separate through one of the flexible connections 31 to t sition to shut off communication between the, exhaust-chamber 33* and the passage 38, will shut off communication between the exhaust-chamber 33 and the atmosphere and openthe aperture 42, thus bringing the pneumatic 44 into communication with the exhaust-chamber 33*, and thus exhaust the air contained in said pneumatic, causing it to collapse and to operate-one of a plurality of finger-pieces 46. over the tracker-board shuts oi the admission of air, the diaphragm collapses, and the puppet-valve with it, thus bringing the pneumatic into freefcommunication with the atmosphere and causing it to expand again. The air which has been utilized in inflating the diaph ragm passes slowly through the small aperture 47 into the exhaust-chamber. The

When the paper' passing- 11,5 adapted when the valve is in its normal 'popuppet-valves are supported in a well-known manner by suitable guides 47, while the finger-pieces 46 have one of their ends attached to a wire or screw 46 attached to the pneuinatics,and are pivoted at their central portion in a series of slots 46, formed in the casing.

In the exhaust-chambers 33 and 33 is maintained an approximate vacuum, the said chambers being connectedto the suction dero vice described above in the following manner: From each of the exhaust-chambers ex tends a pipe 48, passing down and connecting with the transverse channel 49, which com ""municates with the gate-box 50 through the IS aperture 50. The gate-box communicates through the passage 29 in the upper boa rd 29 with the pressure-regulating bellows 51,

which bellows has a passage 5F connecting with the flexible wind-trunk 26. The

construction and function of the pressureregulating bellows are well known in the art, the wind being caused to'pass through the same by a suitable valve mechanism when soft playing is desired, while when the full 2 force of the bellows is desired the wind is passed directly from the gate box 50 through the aperture 50 and the aperture 50 to the flexible wind-trunk 26. In like manner the motor for operating the winding-up roll and 0 the m usic-roll (shown diagrammatically at 52) is connected, by means of the pipe 52, to the gate-box 53 and the pressure-regulating bellows 53, communicating 'with the flexible wind-trunk 27.

From the above it will be seen that the wind travels from the pneumatics to the exhaust-chambers through the pipe 48 and the transverse channel 49 to the gate-box 50 and from thence either direct or through the pres- 0 sure-regulating bellows 51 to the flexible wind-trunk 26. At this point it passes into the elements located in the stationary casing through the bellows-throat into the receiver 14, from whence it is exhausted by means of the pump 15.

The wind from the motor passesin the manner described above through the pipe 52 to the gate-box 53 bellows 53, and flexible wind-trunk 27, and from thence into the be l- 5o lows-throat, where it is exhausted, together with the wind from the pneumatics. 4

The wind passing through the trackerboard after being utilized to inflatethe diaphragms 36 and 36 passes through the aper- 55 tures 47 into the exhaust-chambers and from there is exhausted with the wind from the pneumatics in the manner described above.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a lower, stationary casing, an upper, movable casing, a suction device, a receiver, a middle boardinterposed between the suction device and the receiver, a bellowsthroat extending longitudinally over the top of the middle board, all located in the stationary casing and communicating with each other, a plurality of pneu matics, a wind motor for operating the same and a pressureregulating device, all located in the movable casing and communicating with each other, and a flexible wind-trunk interposed between the elements contained in the upper casing and the elements contained in the lower casing, adapted to compensate for the movement of the movable casing, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the

combination of a lower, stationary casing, an

upper, movable casing, a plurality of pneumatics having means adapted to coact with a tone-producing device and a win d-motor both located in the movable casing, a suction device located in the stationary casing, a separate means of communication from the pneumatics and the wind-motorrespectively to the suction device having each interposed a flexible connection adapted to compensate for the movement of the movable casing, and a longitudinally-extendingbellows-throat forming a com mon intermediate means connecting the separate means of communication with the suction device, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a lower stationary casing, with an upper, movable casing, a plurality of pneumatics having means adapted to coact with a tone-producing device and awind-motor, bol h located in the movable casing, a suction device and a longitudiually'extending bellowsthroat located in the stationary casing, a rigid support extending longitudinally in the easing and attached. to the bellows-throat, a second rigid support also extending longitudinally and attached to the movable casing, two flexible wind-trunks interposed between the rigid supports both discharging into the bellows-throat, a means of communication from the pneumatics to one of said wind-trunks, and a separate means of communication from the wind-motor to the other of said windtrunks, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character Set forth, the combination ofa lower stationary casing, an upper movable casing, two longitudinallyex tending exhaust chambers, a plurality of pneumatics alternately arranged with regard to said exhaustchambers and operatively connected with same, a transverse channel, means of communication between the transverse channel and the exhaust-chambers, a

gate-box communicating with the transverse channel, all located in the movable casing, a suction device located in the stationary casing, a flexible connection between the suction device and the gate-box adapted to compensate for the movement of the movable casing, a pressure-regulating device, and means for connecting at will the gate-box with the flexible connection direct or through the pressure-regulating device, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a lower, stationary casing, an

IIO

upper, movable casing, a plurality of pneuthe movable casing, a flexible connection intel-posed between the two rigid supports communicating with the suction device and adapted to compensate for the movement of the movable casing, a gate-box and a pressureregulating device both located on the upper side of the rigid support on the movable casing, means of communication between the pneumatics inthe movable casing and the gate-box, a passage through the rigid support carried by the movable casing connecting the gate-box with the flexible connection, a second passage in said rigid support connecting the gate-box with the pressure-regulating device, and a passage from said pressureregulating device through the rigid support to the flexible connection, substantially as described. w

6. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a lower stationary casing, an

upper, movable casing, a plurality of pneumatics having means adapted to coact with a tone-producing device and a wind-motor, both located in'the movable casing, a suction device located in the stationary casing, two horizontally-extending rigid supports, one of which is stationary with the lower casing while theother is carried by the movable casing, two separate flexible connections interposed between the two rigid supports both connecting with the suction device and adapted to compensate for the movement of the movable casing, two gate-boxes. and two pressure-regulating devices all located on the upp'er side of the rigid support of the movable casing, one gate-box and one pressure-regulating device being located at each end, means of communication between the pneumatics in the movable casing and oneof said gate-boxes, means of communication between the windniotor and the other of said gate-boxes, a passage from each of said gate-boxes, through the rigid support carried by the movable casing, to its respective flexible connection, a second passage from each of said gate-boxes through the same rigid support to its respective pressure-regulating'device, and a passage from each of said pressure-regulating devices through the rigid support to the same flexible connection with which its respective gate-box communicates, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with an exhaust-chamber of a tracker-board, a vertical passage formed in the side wall of the exhaust-chamber, a flexible connection between the tracker-board and the vertical passage, a horizontal passage formeglin the lower wall of the exhaust-chamber an communicating with the vertical passage, an aperture from the horizontal passage to the exhaust-chamber, an inflatable diaphragm .coverin g same, a puppet-valve resting with its lower endon said diaphragm and adapted to be lifted by it when impulses of air are admitted from the tracker board, and a perforationfrom the vertical passage to the exhaust-chamber for the exhaust of the impulses of air utilized in inflating the diaphragm, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character set forth, the

combination of two longitudinally-extending exhaust-chambers, a transverse connection securing said exhaust-chambers together, two series of pneumatics alternately arranged and located between the exhaust-chambers underneath the transverse connection, two series of transverse passages alternately arranged to correspond with the two series of pneumatics located in the transverse connection, one series of the transverse passages connecting one series of the pneumatics with one of the exhaust-chambers, and the other series of transverse passages connecting the second series of pneumatics with the second exhaust-chamber, substantially as described.

9; In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a bellows, a vertical swinging door hinged in the casing of the device, a pedal pivoted with one-end to the inside of the swinging door and moving with same, a wire joint carried by the other end of said pedal, a pulley, a tape passing over said pulley securing the bellows and the wire joint together, and two wire rails on the bellows for the pedal to slide upon to its closed position,when the door is closed, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York.

ROBERT WILLIARD PAIN. Witnesses:

JAMES E. LINDSEY, JOHN G. GRIswoLD. A 

